In general, poverty rates for the City of Memphis are to be higher than poverty rates in Shelby County for every category. Both are higher than poverty rates in Tennessee, with the notable exception of Whites, for whom poverty rates are higher in Tennessee than in the United States, Shelby County, and the Memphis MSA. In both Shelby County and the Memphis MSA, the poverty rate for Whites is lower than in the United States and in the state of Tennessee. This, together with the overall decline in the White population in Memphis, suggests that Whites with higher incomes are leaving the core city of Memphis and moving to the surrounding suburban communities associated with Memphis but not to the rural areas.

Overall, the nation, the state, and the Memphis area are in a remarkably similar place throughout 2019 - 2022. In general, poverty rates differ by a few tenths of a percentile point. This is true except for Whites in the city of Memphis and for older adults for whom poverty rates have increased. At all levels, poverty among older adults seems to be what is driving the increase in poverty rates.